Growth Stimulus Training (GST)

Happy New Year!

I was inclined to put this thread into the workout journals section, but I feel that it is more suitable for the workout programs section. I'm going to be posting up some information on my GST program that I use for trainees looking to ramp up their strength levels and gain size as well. I've seen numerous male and female trainees increase their strength levels while continuously adding to their bodyweight with new muscle.

This is a fun, detailed, and educating program that provides you the opportunity to set some type of personal record with every workout. You'll be able to stay in this program mentally, which is a major positive when training!

I'm going to start out with the general layout of the program. I am a firm believer in training systematically, using guided numbers and percentages to stay on track and prolong progress. Therefore, you will hear me talking about 1 rep maxes, estimated maxes, and percentages of those max lifts.

I believe that in order to prolong success, one must not come close to burning out! The closer you get to burnout, the quicker your progress timeline will come to an end. GST is not a high volume routine, and it is not for those looking to hit the weights on a daily basis.

The program runs on a 4 workout cycle. Each workout focuses on a core lift, which is a compound lift. I will never tell anyone to put the majority of their gym time into isolation movements. That is simply not how its done when you have strength and size in mind. As the program progresses, the intensity works up on the core lift, while the reps work their way down. This isn't revolutionary, but it works, so I'm not going to try and come up with something that sounds fancier, but doesn't provide long term progression.

There are two to three supplement lifts that follow the main core lift. These lifts can be varied as well, just not week to week. Once you choose your supplement lifts, you will be sticking with them for the duration of a minimum of one program cycle. Your sets and reps will vary on these lefts on a biweekly basis. I have experienced myself, and seen the benefits of set/rep scheme variation on others. Alternating through multiple set/rep schemes increases your progression timeline almost indefinitely. This is a concept that I include in nearly all of my programs, because I see it's benefits on a daily basis in my training sessions.

In terms of the core lift, when focusing on a certain movement for a prolonged period of time, you better believe in that movement. You better like doing it, and you better feel good about your execution of that movement. For those reasons, the selection of core lifts is not limited to one per area of the body. As an example, you are not stuck with barbell back squats. You may choose from multiple squat movements such as front squats, back squats, zercher squats, box squats, or even leg press or lunges if you are just not confident with your squats. You'll notice that these are all compound lower body movements. You won't see anything like leg extensions or leg curls in that list......they just don't belong.

I'll be outlining more program concepts shortly, including exercise choice, program layout, workout scheduling, and other necessities to execute this program.

GST runs on a 4 workout cycle, and there is a recommended 24 hour recovery period between workouts. Now, if you find that you are only able to hit the gym on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday, for example, hitting two days in a row is OK. GST takes this into account by avoiding any muscle overlap. If necessary, it is OK to work 2 days in a row, but not 3.

My personal recommendation:
Day 1: ON
Day 2: OFF, Stretch your entire body and Foam Roll after 15-30 minutes of mild cardio
Day 3: ON
Day 4: OFF, Perform a few full body complexes with no more than 1/4 of your bodyweight added to the lifts. Follow the complexes with stretching and foam rolling of your problem areas.
Day 5: ON
Day 6: OFF
Day 7: ON
Day 8: OFF
Day 9: Repeat Day 1
Essentially you're looking at an 8 day split with this option. This option provides you with a 50/50 split between work and rest. This split works well for those participants that are able to hit the gym any day of the week.

If you want to keep your days of the week identical from week to week and have your nutrition in check, along with plenty of training experience under your belt, you'll have to go with this 7 day split.
Day 1: ON
Day 2: ON
Day 3: OFF, Stretch your entire body after 15-30 minutes of mild cardio
Day 4: ON
Day 5: OFF, Perform a few full body complexes with no more than 1/4 of your bodyweight added to the lifts. Follow the complexes with stretching and foam rolling of your problem areas.
Day 6: ON
Day 7: OFF
Day 8: Repeat Day 1
This split will be for those of you that don't have the flexibility of hitting the gym any day of the week. You will be more proned to taking deload periods with this split, as the amount of recovery days is lessened. This adds up over time, but you are still resting nearly as much as you're working.

If you want to keep your days of the week identical from week to week and feel that you are the type of person who is easily overtrained, you'll have to go with this 7 day split.
Day 1: ON
Day 2: OFF, Stretch your entire body after 15-30 minutes of mild cardio
Day 4: ON
Day 5: OFF, Perform a few full body complexes with no more than 1/4 of your bodyweight added to the lifts. Follow the complexes with stretching and foam rolling of your problem areas.
Day 5: ON
Day 6: OFF
Day 7: OFF
Day 8: Repeat Day 1
This schedule provides you with more rest than work, allowing for maximum recovery and progression time.

Above you have multiple options on how to approach your GST program. I feel that setting up your workout schedule is the first step in approaching a program the correct way.

It is my experience that one must try and keep their body in a state of recovery at all times. Once the body comes out of this state, you are not taking advantage of the benefits of nutrient partitioning and you will begin to fade in your progress.

In order to stay in a state of recovery, you must cause your body enough stress and trauma to initiate and maintain the recovery process for a solid 24-72 hours. This requires intense lifting with heavy loads. It requires controlled movements, focusing on explosiveness through the positive motion and deliberate 'loading of the spring' through the negative motion. Imagine that you're tearing and stretching as you lower the weight and then recoiling from that stretch as you lift the weight.

When choosing your core lifts, you should think about what the body is designed to do. You are designed to press, pull, lift, and squat. You want to use exercises that allow you to overload your body with weight as much as possible.

It is clear to see that the barbell is the weapon of choice here. I have yet to meet anyone that can press the same amount of weight with dumbbells as they can with a barbell. For this reason, the barbell is superior. This doesn't mean you can't use dumbbells in your GST program, it just means you can't use them as part of your core pressing lift.

I have listed smith machine lifts because they are still effective at building strength, while being on the safer side if a spotter is not present. It is a definite possibility that you lift alone. If there isn't a squat rack available to you as a self spotter, then the smith machine is your best bet.

My personal recommendation is the Incline BB Press. This exercise effectively hits the triceps, delts, and pecs while still allowing you to move some heavy poundage.

Eight lifts, but many more variations when you figure in stance options. I do suggest doing your best to choose a non-smith option with your squats. I feel that balance and stability is important when squatting, and the smith will take away your stimulus to build and improve on those skills.

A movement like a squat is much more 'full body involved' than a simple press, and limiting the squat to a perfectly straight up and down motion isn't as natural as a free stance version.

But, once again, the smith variations are there if you need them due to your personal situation.

All of these pulling movements involve you to stabilize yourself throughout the movement. For example, it would be easy enough to toss in the seated cable row in place of the bent barbell row, but then you lose your self stabilization requirement. You are seated on a bench rather than using your body so support the entire load of the exercise. Remember, maximum stress is the goal with your core lifts!

These exercises are all big compound lifts that require plenty of focus and form. Perform them correctly to reap the benefits!

Lift Compound Exercise Selection:
Conventional BB Deadlift (Can be performed from a deficit)
Sumo BB Deadlift (Can be performed from a deficit)
Rack BB Deadlift from Just Below the Knee
Romanian BB Deadlift

Selection is slim here due to the nature of the motion. You are simply lifting weight from the floor, aiming to stress the posterior chain to the max. This exercise will more than likely be the one which allows you to stress your body with the heaviest load. Nearly everyone I know can deadlift more than they can squat, pull, or press.

Whichever exercise you choose for your core lift in each category, make sure you are a fan of the exercise and feel confident that you can dominate it on a weekly basis.

I'm going to be treating this thread as a journal and as an instructional as well. Today I'm lined up for my 3rd deadlift workout of my current GST cycle. I'm definitely feeling anxious for this one, as that final all out set is always a test of will power and strength.

I'm planning to make many videos and get them up in this thread as well.

I'll post my numbers, sets, and exercises once I get done with the lift. In the meantime, gotta finish my power breakfast!

It doesn't take a professional to know that more than one exercise can be done to promote strength and growth in the same area of the body. This is where supplement lifts come into play. Think about supplement lifts as you think about supplements for nutrition. Supplements work when you have the fundamentals in place, but they are not meant to replace the fundamentals!

My supplement lift choosing will tend to stray away from isolation lifts, as I still believe in getting the most bang for your buck on each lift you perform in a workout. This is a not a program that involves a high number of different exercises. Therefore, each one must be of value to you.

These lifts are all going to put focus on gaining strength and size in the Pec/Delt/Tricep complex. Many of these moves could just as well be used for the core lifts, but once again, none of these lifts can be loaded with the capacity that a barbell press can be loaded with. Dips are an exercise that could be loaded heavy, but they do not allow you to work on your pressing form, which is why they aren't a core lift option.

You can see that movements like shoulder flyes, cable flyes, tricep extensions, and the pec deck are left out of the equation. These movements do not allow for sufficient loading, leaving much to be desired in terms of adaptive stress on the body.

Squat supplement lifts are designed to activate all/most of the prime movers of the squat. Many of these movements mimic the leg movement involved in squatting, strengthening and further stressing the body, causing adaption in the form of strength and size increases.

You're not going to see leg extensions, sissy squats, or other isolation movements in this category. Once again, they are not quality compound movements when loading the body with heavy weight is the goal.

Many of these lifts are just less 'involved' versions of the core lifts. They don't allow for as much weight as the core lifts, but you can still load them sufficiently enough to put the body under some serious stress. Many of these take some of the stabilization effects away, since you are seated or supported by equipment. This is why they are not core lifts.

I don't like to see wide grip pulling movements here, as they will drastically decrease the amount of weight that will be used when compared to a medium or close grip variation of that same pull.

These lifts are definitely going to add to the strength and form of your core lift. These movements can be loaded sufficiently and will easily provide stress to your body for those adaptions to take place. These movements high accentuate the muscles of the posterior chain, which is where you derive your lifting power from.

The lying leg curl is going to be the closest exercise to an isolation that you'll see in this program. I feel that it is an important movement for the hamstrings, making it sufficient for this program.

Next up, how to put together a split with your core lift and supplement lift choices......

I've already discussed the basic ON/OFF layouts for this split. These layouts are going to be used when putting together your actual lifting schedule.

I'm going to talk about the order of the four workouts more than anything, as it carries over to all of the different ON/OFF setups. No matter which you choose, the foundational order of your workouts will remain the same!

This order will be:
1. Squat
2. Pull
3. Lift
4. Press

Now, keep in mind that this rotation doesn't have to start with squatting on Monday, you can start with 1, 2, 3, or 4, but you should stick to this rotation once you choose your starting point.

Lets up a sample lifting schedule together!

I prefer to open the week with a big day. I'm rested, I'm focused, and I'm not part of the crew who proclaims that Monday is international bench press day. In other words, the squat rack is mine!

Now, this day is going to be very tough, and I might say that you can add in some extra special focus work if you'd like(calves, abs, forearms), but I'd shy away from it on a day like Squat Training Day. This day is bound to leave you in a mess!

With this exercise selection, I am getting plenty of bicep work, along with big back building compound movements. This is an awesome set up for really growing thicker from front to back, all while building some big peak biceps and forearms. Keepin it compound once again!

You can't go wrong with the king, the deadlift! Follow up those big deads with a good stretching/loading movement of the posterior chain and your golden. Take it another step further and smash the glutes(the biggest muscles in your body) with some pullthroughs. You're going to have a fried and stimulated posterior chain from solid compound lifts that will soon be able to lift some serious tonnage!

Using the incline as a core lift will really allow you build up that chest shelf that everyone wants. You'll stimulate delt growth as well without dedicating an entire core lift to an overhead press. Dips will bring out the biggest muscles in your upper arms, the triceps, along with providing you with a great active pec stretch. Flat DB press will then allow you to hone in on your chest and tris for the finishing touch. Once again, all big compounds, you can't go wrong!

What I've laid out is just one example of how to set up a lifting schedule. There are many core lift and supplement lift choices, but you can see how I had specific reasoning in mind when choosing my lifts. Everybody is different and everyone has different strengths and weaknesses. Be smart with your exercise choices an reap the benefits!

The next topic will center around rep and set selection of the supplement lifts.......

Thanks alot! This is the kind of program that you invest some time in. Its not just some cookie cutter crap that gets spewed all over the place these days. This is a game plan. This is training, not working out. You go in with set numbers to hit and you get things done!

I've seen it do great things to clients, and I'm just rolling it out here now, because I'm confident in it enough to put my rep on the line with this program.

Thanks! I'm working on it. Its completed and in use, just conveying the ideas take some time. I'm betting within the next couple of days you'll know all the details. The bread and butter of the program is still not talked about.

This is excellent. It reminds me a bit of the program I made for myself, largely in terms of the variety, compound focus, and isolation supplementation. My volume is a bit higher than yours, though, but in the end it all comes down to the individual. Will definitely try this after I'm done with my current phase and a 5x5 round. Bookmarked and repped.

Log: http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=143777961

Best gym lifts: 525/365/585 435 FS 260 OHP
Best meet lifts: 474/308/490 in November 2012 (not currently competing in Powerlifting)
I just like lifting weights

Good investment on the camera. Are your set and rep schemes for your press, pull, and squat going to be similar to your lift day?

In terms of the core lifts, yes. However, the video that you saw happened to be of a 3x6 day with the final set allowing the user to go all out and test their strength and stamina.

There has been plenty of talk lately about self regulating your workouts(if you feel good, go hard, if you feel weak, go easy). This final set allows you to partially self regulate, but not fully. I don't feel that fully is a good idea, because sometimes the mind doesn't want to do what the body easily can.

Planned rep ranges for the core lifts are going to be anywhere from 8 to 1, but the final all out set for the core lifts has no guidelines except getting the minimum amount of reps scheduled for that day.

This is excellent. It reminds me a bit of the program I made for myself, largely in terms of the variety, compound focus, and isolation supplementation. My volume is a bit higher than yours, though, but in the end it all comes down to the individual. Will definitely try this after I'm done with my current phase and a 5x5 round. Bookmarked and repped.

Awesome to hear it! Be sure to check back periodically for updates. Like I said above, give me a couple days to finish up this typing.

Today I'll be hitting my pull workout. I'll be working out with a client who is gaining fast on this program. He is 17 years old and weighing in at a solid 210 already! Ever since our incorporation of Rack Deadlifts and Box Squats, his growth has just skyrocketed! His next goal for his rack deads is set at 500.

I like to mention him, because I really enjoy it when people learn and grow from this program!

I'll post up my workout numbers and layout later tonight, once its completed.

One of the biggest 'lightbulb going off' moments of my training career was when I realized that in order to make the most constant and reliable strength and size gains possible, I needed to start varying the number of sets and reps I did each workout. This is a very important statement, and if you don't realize how important it is, then you've probably not experienced what varying these things can add to your progression.

I'm not talking about switching up your exercises each workout, I'm talking about the reps and sets only. Any program worth anything is going to have you performing the same exercise selection for multiple workouts. The program will also have multiple workouts focused on multiple goals and aspects of training(strength, power, size, conditioning, etc.)

With GST, you've got 4 workouts, which you are going to be repeating for a bare minimum of 4 times through. Ideally, you will repeat multiple cycles of GST in a row. It is actually designed to be the only program you'll really ever need. I haven't discussed how the core lifts progress throughout each 4 week period yet, so I'm not going to talk about those right now.

The focus here is the supplement lifts. Like I said, you'll be running those same supplement lifts at least 4 workouts in a row. Now, you could just use something generic like 4x6 or 3x12 for your supplement lifts each time you perform them. However, if you remember my opening statement, you'll know that I will have no part in that!

I am going to recommend that you run two rep/set schemes if you are going to be using the same supplements for 4-8 weeks. These are as follows:

Scheme 1: 3 to 4 sets x 8-10 reps
Scheme 2: 2 to 3 sets x 15-20 reps

I chose 8-10 reps because this is a solid number of reps to lift fairly heavy with, while not overly stressing your nervous system and joints. You will be doing plenty of heavy, stressful work with your core lifts. Let's keep the heavy stuff away from your supplements! Scheme 1 will allow you to progress in strength and size while still being able to focus on form and technique.

I chose 15-20 reps because I believe that conditioning is a big part of being able to push yourself through tough workouts. Also, the build up of lactic acid in the muscles has been shown to spark an increase in Growth Hormone, which is always a positive!

Scheme 2 requires a lighter load, but I have seen many clients benefit from lifting in this rep range. They show quality increases in size, along with plenty of mental toughness, which is priceless in the gym.

The amount of feeling you'll have in your targeted muscle groups will also aid in building up your mind muscle connections. The more you can feel what you're working with Scheme 2, the more you can think about your muscles and imagine them flexing and growing.

Scheme 2 is not the most commonly used method in training programs, but in my opinion, it has tons of benefits that many programs don't aim to touch on.

One major concept you'll notice in the two schemes is that there is the opportunity to adjust the number of sets based on how you are feeling that day. Like before, I don't give the opportunity to change the workouts up completely, but there is the option for some amount of variation. Not everyday is your best day, and I feel that overdoing it on those days that you feel weak is a big mistake.

If you are feeling mighty, go with the larger number of sets. If you feel gassed, go with the smaller number of sets.

Alright, so you now know the schemes and their reasonings. I'm not going to lay out what that would look like in action.

I'm going to take our same previous lifting schedule and add in the schemes below.

interesting concept....i like the setup and the simplicity of your setup. can you hint on what the set\reps are going to look like for the core movements?

I think I might try this setup as I am just finished with 2 weeks off from all lifting to deload.

First things first, you have to have an understanding of your 1 Rep Max for each core lift. Since you are ready to go now, and I'd love to see more people on this program, I can tell you that for the first week, you will use 60-70% of your 1RM for your core lift(I prefer 65%). You will shoot for 3x8, with your third set being your all out set. Your all out set means that if you pump out 8 reps, you go for more. You keep going for more until your form breaks down, or you reach muscular failure.

This is not a rest pause set where you rack the weight and rest between reps. You get as many reps as you can get without exiting the set at any point. Taking a few extra breaths between reps is fine, but you can't sit there for 15-20 seconds in between reps. I think you get the picture.

So, the take away here is that you can start the first cycle of this program up. Use 65% of your 1RM and go to work!

I was wondering.. Is it possible to have your 4 workouts set up this way?

Mon: ON
Tues: ON
Wed: OFF
Thurs: ON
Fri: ON
Sat: OFF
Sun: OFF

Would be more convenient than having to workout on the weekend.

It is entirely possible. This would be more possible for a beginner/novice than for an advanced lifter who can put more intensity into each set. I have found that this type of set up did me in after a few weeks. But, this type of setup can work well for beginners. My answer to your question is yes!

You just have to monitor yourself. If you start feeling demotivated and weak on a consistent basis, you know you have to cut it back a little.

Also, just keep in mind that working out 4 times in a week isn't something that has to be set in stone. If you don't mind doing three days per week, that would work as well and also keep you out of the gym on the weekends. Three days per week is far from a bad option.

First things first, you have to have an understanding of your 1 Rep Max for each core lift. Since you are ready to go now, and I'd love to see more people on this program, I can tell you that for the first week, you will use 60-70% of your 1RM for your core lift(I prefer 65%). You will shoot for 3x8, with your third set being your all out set. Your all out set means that if you pump out 8 reps, you go for more. You keep going for more until your form breaks down, or you reach muscular failure.

This is not a rest pause set where you rack the weight and rest between reps. You get as many reps as you can get without exiting the set at any point. Taking a few extra breaths between reps is fine, but you can't sit there for 15-20 seconds in between reps. I think you get the picture.

So, the take away here is that you can start the first cycle of this program up. Use 65% of your 1RM and go to work!

I will give it a go this week.
where do you feel you are getting shoulder training in? traps?

I will give it a go this week.
where do you feel you are getting shoulder training in? traps?

Shoulders can get hit by choosing incline pressing movements, along with flat pressing movements. It is a myth that flat pressing works only your chest and tris.....delts are hit heavily when performed with the elbows tucked in a bit. Also, the big 'duh' movement would be to set the BB Military Press as your core lift if you wanted that much focus on the delts.

Traps get smoked by your deadlifts, and if you choose an upright row or a high pull for a supplement lift, they'll get hit even harder as well(actually those will hit your delts too )

One thing I don't like to do is limit myself to the listed exercises. There are going to be other options that can be added as well, but they must fit the general compound rule and not be complete isolation movements.